SPOKANE — The Spokane City Council approved a contract to remove a controversial statue from downtown after nearly a decade of debate.
The Robert Monaghan statue has stood at Monroe and Riverside for 120 years. Thousands of drivers pass the intersection daily, but many don’t know about the heated discussion surrounding the monument.
The statue depicts Robert Monaghan, the first Washingtonian to graduate from the U.S. Naval Academy. He was killed protecting a fellow sailor in Samoa. However, the plaques refer to Samoans as “savages” and depict them in a racially insensitive way.
“In about 2020, we heard a lot of comments from folks in the Pacific Islander community about the historical harm of Monaghan and the statue and the impact from his actions in Samoa to the plaque which clearly has racist remarks on there,” said Paul Dillon, Spokane District 2 councilman.
Advocacy groups have called for the statue’s removal for over 20 years.
“A lot of it is the language on the statue. It is harmful. It is a blight on the city. It is not supposed to be who we are, and so it was really important to address the historical harm that had taken place from American colonialism,” Dillon said.
The councilman said politics slowed the removal process.
“It’s taken us a long road to get here — too long I would argue — but I’m really happy that we are here,” Dillon said. “We need to continue to listen to those who have been impacted by racist rhetoric. I think this is a really proud moment for the city. We’ve heard overwhelming feedback that this has to happen and I’m happy that we are here.”
City officials haven’t announced when the removal will begin. The statue will be moved to the Monaghan family mausoleum at Fairmount Memorial Park.
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